Starting mechanism for motors.



J. F. CARTER.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. l9|5.

LZUQAGQ Patented Nov. H, 1916.

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JOHN F. CARTER, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB TO WOLVERINE STARTERCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR MOTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN F. CARTER, a citizenof the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kentand State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements inStarting Mechanism for Motors, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to devices known as starting mechanism formotors, as engines for automobiles, and its object is to provide adevice of that character which shall be simple and economical inconstruction and easy of operation. This object is attained by, and theinvention finds preferable embodiment in, the structure hereinafterdescribed and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure1 is a top plan view of said structure; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;Fig. 3 is a front view of the same; and Fig. 4 is a front view(enlarged) of ball-clutch members, etc.

The forward end of the engine shaft of an internal-combustion engine, asthe automobile engine 1, is provided with ratchet clutch teeth 2, withwhich may engage corresponding teeth 3 of the alined stub shaft 4. Thechauffeur by pressing the pedal 5 turns the lever 6 and slides the stubshaft axially against the pressure of its spring 7, thus operativelyengaging the clutch teeth 2 and 3. He then drawsthe lever 8 whoseconnecting rod 9 swings thepivoted arm 10, to which is fastened a cord11. T he cord, passing around a pulley 17, is fastened to ashaft-revolving member 12 which is in fixed relation to the teeth 3 andkeyed to the stub shaft. The engine shaft is thus rotated to start theengine. The shaft revolving member is returned to its normalpositionalthough the teeth 2 and 3 may still be held by the pedal intheir clutching engagement by means of a spring 13 attached to a chain14 wound on a drum 15 which is rotatable relatively to theshaft-revolving member: A suitable ball-ratchet clutch having the balls16, intermediate the drum and the shaft-revolving member as shown, byits clutching operation thus effects the return of the shaft-revolvingmember by the springs' pressure.

In the construction shown, it will be seen thatthe plane in which thearm 10 swings intersects that in which the lever 8 turns,

which arrangement is more convenient and economical of space in certainautomobiles: and that the connecting rod 9 is attached to said armbetween its axis 18 and the point where the cord is fastened to saidarm.

The parts are shown in Fig. 1 in their normal position or position ofrest. It will be seen that in the illustrated construction, the cord isdrawn over an arcuate portion 19 of the arm 10 when the lever 8 is movedby the chauffeur, and that the connecting rods point of pivotalconnection with the arm 10, when said arm has been swung to a positionat right angles to the frame 20, affords greater drawing power on thecord than when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1. This isdesirable, inasmuch as thereby the position of the pivot 18 may be solocated as to register said right-angled position of the arm 10 with thepoint of greatest drawing strain of the cord on the shaft-revolvingmember. By properly hardening and shaping (as shown) the sur faces ofthe shaft-revolving member 12, and the drum 15, between which surfacesthe balls 16 engage, these parts 12 and 15 may be relatively rotated byan unusual force even against the clutching operation of such ballsthatis, the ball clutch may slip:

This is desirable in case of back-firing of the engine. When by suchback-firing, the member 12 is violently turned backward, it strikes astop 21 011 the frame, whereupon the engine shaft is permitted tocontinue its reverse movement by such slipping of the ball clutch.

The invention being intended to be defined solely by the claims, is notto be limited to or by the construction shown or described.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described; an engine shaft; ashaft-revolving member; a cord attached to said member and adapted torotate the same; a swinging arm to which the cord is fastened; a lever;and connection between the lever and the arm to swing the arm by thelever.

2. In a device of the character described; an engine shaft; a shaftrevolving member; a cord attached to said member and adapted to rotatethe same; a. swinging arm to which the cord is fastened; a lever; andconnection between the lever and the arm to swing the arm by the lever,the plane in which the arm turns.

swings intersecting that in which the lever' a cord attached to saidmember and adapted to rotate the same; a swinging arm to which the cordis fastened and having an arcuate surface over Which the cord is drawn;a lever; and connection between the lever and the arm to swing the armby the lever.

3. In a device of the character described; an engine shaft; ashaft-revolving member; a cord attached to said member and adapted torotate the same; a swinging arm to which the cord is fastened; a lever;and connection between the lever and the arm to swing the my hand inpresence of two subscribing witarm by the lever, said connectionengaging nesses.

the arm between the arms swin ing axis 7 and the point of the cordsattachment to JOHNF' CARTER the arm. Witnesses:

4. In a device of the character described;

GANsoN TAGGART, an engine shaft; a shaft-revolving member;

HENRIETTA K. VANnER MYDE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set

